Riley, coming off a decorated freshman season, was selected in the first round by the Wizards to set off social media

The Washington Wizards have selected Will Riley with the No. 21 pick in the 2025 NBA draft. Riley was named Big Ten Sixth Man of the Year in 2025. He set the Illinois freshman record for points in a debut with 31 against Eastern Illinois and later broke the program’s freshman NCAA tournament scoring mark with 22 in a Round 1 win over Xavier.

The Charlotte Hornets and Washington Wizards produced two of the three worst records in the NBA last season — and neither received a top-three draft pick.